Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-08-18
Price OF Reef.

/ Mr., Joe Nathan calls our attention
to The following article from the Dcav-
ersJournal, concerning the present price
Of beef. The discussion concerning the
retail prices do not apply to Lancaster,
but we give i FOR wat it is worth.
The views OF prominent 1--we stock
men in regard 70 overproductiou. aud
other minor causes for low prices, are
worthy of consideration:
Notwithstanding the assertions Of
the wholesale and retail butchers that
there is 10 margins ia the sale Of nests
the live stock commission men, those
TO whom the cattle are consigned aad
who sell it on the hoof, claim that IN.
der present prices the retailers esp-e-
Tally are having a picnic that would
make them rich il it only lasted long
enough. That cattle on the ho0f are
lower than they have been for n great
many years everyone admits, bat. on
the other hand, lbe butcher bills paid
by tho head Of The family from day u
day show TINT tie retail price is higiier
than ever before, and herein lies lie
interesting question. The butcher
says il is because people won't eat the
coarse meats, while the man who Sails
the cattle says it is because the butcher
) having picnic. The weigh. Of
evidence is with the latter, for every
body knows THAT the retail price 81
meat is the same, aud IN some eases
little higher than il was a few months
ago, while it is iust As well understood
that the price 81 the live bullock aaS
dropped ever 81 per hundred or from
81 TO Sl2 per head The known facts
bear out the position of the commission
man, SO il would appear that the re-
taller is the responsible party for tho
prevailing high prices, his solemn a.
sertions that he is losing money to the
contrary, Notwithstanding. And nov
the question arises. how much could I
the retailer lop OF and still have y little
profit Oh his safes? The cattle com
mission men think lie could scale down
from two to four cents easy enough,
but the butcher himself will tell voa
he ought to add that much, So If tEa
happy mean is taken prices will I'll
main whore they are. Now cones IN,
third and By far the larger class -shr
consamer-for his say about the prizes
On HE presumption that he is fair-
minded, be would want the retailer n
make a reasonable profit, and ait~r
making ail allowances for the "trjrs
OF the trade" aud considering ali t,e
facts rs above presented, he will retch
the conclusion Of the commission man.
Meat really ought to be sold f1r
froua far, a FINN aapts s.ilno ,1sp ~, rt,.
chOcer cuts and cue TO two cents on the
coarser ones. The trouble seems 70
be that the retail market is seldom ia
huenccd hy downward tendency in
prices, although il feels and responds
10 the upward tendency with the Whale
sale If there is a remedy at all, il is
in the hands Of the consumer, but il
can only be applied by refusal to az
the prices demanded. A percoucertcd
move Of that kind would soon bring
the butchers 70 their senses, but it is SO
impracticable that the butchers will
remain the masters of the situation
and continue selling the choicest porter
house steak at 20 cents per pound.
As the wholesale and retail butchers
have had their inning 10 the game il Is
but fair to present the views entertained
by commission men-those who repre-
sent the cattle raiser-and it must be
confessed that they WELD the heaviest
club. Mr.. S. l.. Wood discourses as
follows Our customers, who ship
as cattle on consignment, are located
throughout the entire West We ;, Il
on the leg aud our commonest butcher
cattle bring from to cents per pound
fs ifrrhf
The next grade, principally Iowa rud
Illinois steers, bring from 81 To 4 Gems
and tile next 81 highest. from 1 to
cents per pound 1t is from this grade
that we get tie high priced cuts, but
must say that the prices for these
cuts are Just the same as when cattle
on the leg were worth 3 more per bum
dred The present low price Of beef Is
the retailers picnic, and he is the man
who coins the money in the business
now. Our customers, the cattie.rais"rS
claim they are losing from one.fourth !
to threo-fourtEs Of cent on every
pound Of caltie shipped, which dofs
not include freight rates and shrlnkage
Freight rates, however, 10 not cut
much Of a figure, as they are now lower
than thy were year ago. Iowa cattle
are laid down here for 40c per 100 ihs
Illinois for p, Kansas and Missouri 'ur
soc, and Texas Tor 75c. These, ui
course. are the rates from an average
point. Now, some months ago, w!i-o
prices were higher, cattle were il>l
about paying out, but with the pres NJ
low prices there is 40 doubt that ~
ers are losing money. | account tar
the present low prices in this way: H.
1889 cattle were very low and there
was light production, but The follow
ing year prices started up, and th-Te
was great rush to get into the BUSH
ness, with the inevitable result Of the
present overproduclion. Men have
got to have money. you know, 50 they
rush their product INTO the market with
disastrous results We have received
up TO the present time this year about
200. 900 head more than ever before.
and anyone can understand that tb3t
means lower prices. This talk about a
beef ring depressing prices is all y
boSh. II Il simply oyerproducjion "
G.. w. Baker. the Secretary OF The
Live Stock Exchange, explained as ;pl-
lows: The low price Of cattle in tHs
Stock Yards is largely the result nt
overproductiOn with the hue and cry (
about peuro-pneumonia and the drouih /
as contributing causes The plcuro- I
pneumonia scare has frightened the /
people Of the East and has closed onr
foreign markets, which, OF course, gluls T
our market here aud hurts il, TIE ST.
we're drouth has dried up the streams
and made the price Of feed very high /
so that the cattle raiser being without |
food or water for his stock simply ships |
it to market The cattle raisers ere
losing money at present prices, esPec-
tally on native cattle. as the range eat
tie are brought into sharper competition /
with them than ever before"
L. B. Hastings said: The oger-pro.
dueion, the drouth and the legislsti N
in this country against the beef interests
are the three causes for the low /
price OF cattle. With reference to the /
legislation proposition, people are get
ting tired Of horse doctors running /
around their barns after sick cows, and /
a great many are going out of the cat
tie raising business. The business is
not paving as it used 70. but there j.
money III good range cattle yet, and /
there will yet be money in cattle rails
ing, as the over production this year |
& Va .lrs